Why Didn't You Say So
by KarkatVantas-Strider
Summary: Karkat and Dave are at odds with one another. Karkat knows he likes Dave, but Dave is, well, stupid. Parties, graphic language blah blah blah... I suppose I should do a trigger warning for later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys, it's been quite a long time and oh God I am terrible at updating and such. But this fic actually is a rendition of my other fic, "The Party." It's different, in the sense of there's an actual introduction and more details and it's less vague and junk. Idek what I'm going to rate it. Because I really don't know if this is the kind of fic that will have smut? I dunno, but bear with me. I may not update very much and stuff, but yano. I WILL D: ONWARD!**

**Why Didn't You Say So?**

You sigh. God, you were bored and Strider is pissing you off.

turntechGodhead (TG) began pestering carcinoGeneticist (CG)

TG: yo vantas

CG: FOR FUCK'S SAKE, WHAT DO *YOU* WANT?

TG: nothing

TG: cant a bro talk to his bro

CG: I WASN'T AWARE WE WERE BROS

TG: ouch

TG: and here i was thinkin we were

TG: ya hurt me vantas

CG: YEAH, WHATEVER.

CG: AS I SAID BEFORE, WHAT DO YOU WANT?

TG: well egderps havin a party

The human John was having a party? Huh, you didn't know that. He didn't normally have parties. You wonder what this one is for.

TG: are you goin

CG: I WASN'T AWARE HE WAS HAVING A PARTY.

TG: well this is me officially inviting you then

CG: YEAH, OKAY. I'LL THINK ABOUT GOING.

Like hell you're going. Strider was going to be there. No way are you going to deal with him. Mainly because you're flushed for that insufferable, conceited "cool" fuck face. You'd never admit it, though. Ever. Not to anyone, not even Gamzee, your moirail. Somehow, you and he have become moirails again, after the game was won. You're not entirely sure how that happened. He was sort of a shitty moirail.

Your computer dings a few times and you sigh, turning your attention back to it. You look at your Trollian, seeing a few new messages from Strider, Terezi and Nepeta. You sigh again, in annoyance. You click on Terezi's IM first.

gallowsCalibrator (GC) began trolling carcinoGeneticist (CG)

GC: H3YYY :]

GC: K4RKL3S, 4NSW3R M3

CG: GOD, WHAT, TEREZI?

GC: H3H3, 4R3 YOU GO1NG TO JOHN'S P4RTY?

CG: I DON'T KNOW, PROBABLY NOT.

GC: 4WWW, WHY NOT? :[

CG: MAYBE BECAUSE I HAVE BETTER THINGS TO DO THAN ATTEND SOME STUPID PARTY.

Leaving it at that, you switch over to Nepeta's IMs.

arsenicCatnip (AC) began trolling carcinoGeneticist (CG)

AC:33 h33y

AC:33 kkkaaarrrkkkkaaattt

AC:33 johns having a party and i expect you to be there

arsenicCatnip (AC) ceased trolling carcinoGeneticist (CG)

Goddamn, these people just won't leave you alone. Left and right, "are you going to be at John's party?" plagued you. You groan in frustration. You still have Dave to answer to and you seriously consider not answering him at all. You don't want to deal with his bullshit, right now. Or ever, really. Because that's all he does, is bullshit you. You frown, wait, no, that's not entirely true. Sometimes he doesn't, in the rare times of seriousness. Heavy emphasis on rare. He doesn't often get serious. It sort of bothers you, but it's Dave and there's nothing you can really do about it.

Grumbling to yourself about stupid people, you check Dave's messages.

TG: what do you means youll think about it?

TG: you really should go

TG: everyones goin, man

TG: are you just gonna ignore me

TG: bro

TG: karkaaattt

TG: I am going to keep messaging you until you answer

TG: karkitty

TG: heh heh heh

TG: ooh how bout kit kat

TG: i think i like kit kat

TG: thats your new nickname now

TG: okay kitkat?

CG: FUCK, STRIDER. I'LL GO, OKAY?

CG: AND DON'T CALL ME KITKAT! THAT IS *******NOT******** MY NAME! DON'T CALL ME KARKLES, KARKITTY, KITKAT, KARCRAB AND ANY OTHER SHITTY NICKNAMES YOU COULD POSSIBLY MUSTER FROM YOUR HORRIBLY FRIED AND DELUSIONAL THINKPAN! JESUS, IS IT REALLY *THAT* HARD TO CALL ME BY MY *REAL NAME?*

TG: woah man

TG: chill

TG: god its way too easy to rile you up bro

CG: FUCK YOU, STRIDER.

TG: i knew you liked me

TG: cant blame you

TG: all this strider charm must be hard to resist

CG: SWEAR TO GOD.

CG: I AM GOING TO FUCKING KILL YOU.

TG: sshhh kitkat

TG: i understand

TG: you dont have to keep your sexual desires a secret

EXCUSE him?! You seethe; what a fuckng DOUCH MUFFIN! Is he REALLY that fucking conceited?

CG: OH YES, I JUST HAVE *SO* MUCH SEXUAL FRUSTRATION PENT UP.

CG: DEFINITELY. JUST FOR YOU.

TG: see

TG: don't you fell better

TG: you secrets out

CG: OH, YES. NOW IF YOU'LL EXCUSE ME, I HAVE BETTER THINGS TO DO, THAN TO FUCK AROUND WITH THE LIKES OF YOU.

TG: ouch man

TG: you should tone down your rudeness

TG: its hurtful ya'know

CG: GOOD, LEAVE ME ALONE.

carcinoGeneticist (CG) ceased trolling turntechGodhead (TG)

You decide to ignore whatever Terezi's sent you. You're really not in the mood to deal with ore stupid people. You have to sit and think about what just happened here. Was that what humans call flirting? Or was Strider just being his usual self-centered delusional dick self?

You pondered how he nearly _begged_ you to attend the party. Dave doesn' do that, does he? Wouldn't he think it "uncool" or something? Or was he really that stupid to consider it ironic? You guess, in a sense, it could be considered ironic. Just because it's not Dave's thing to beg. Especially not for you. So, that is rather unexpected and whatever. It could be considered ironic, you think. Whatever. It doesn't change the fact that he's incredibly ignorant.

Dave was so hard to figure out, though. And it drove you insane. The things he says sometimes contradict what he does. He says he doesn't care, he SEEMS to not care, but he also seems to do things for his friends. Which would insinuate that he DOES, in fact, care.

You shut your computer lid with a sigh. You check the time, seeing it was around two in the afternoon. You wonder when John's party is. Dave didn't tell you when it was, so how are you supposed to go? You snicker. You can't very well go to a party when you don't know the time, now can you? You wonder why he wanted you to go so bad, though. It was just some stupid party, right? There probably would be more. That you COULD go to, if you were so inclined. So, what difference did it make, whether you went to this one or not? You didn't quite understand Dave Strider. And you're not entirely sure you want to. He is definitely an enigma.

You wander around in your house for a little while, not entirely sure what to do. You don't want to talk to anyone, really. You'll just get annoyed and want to punch them or something. Probably. You heave a giant sigh and wonder how Kanaya is doing. You haven't seen or talked to her in a little while and that makes you a little sad. Because you genuinely like her. She was good friend. She understood you, or at least tried to. Although, some of the things she says, no matter how tactful, can sometimes still piss you off. But only because most of the time, she's right. She could give you advice about Dave. She was pretty good at giving advice. And because you were confused about Dave, it could help to bring it up to her, right? But you don't want to seem annoying, either.

Making up your mind, you grab a coat and head out the door. You are going to Kanaya's. You need to talk to her about this Dave stuff. It was too... Stressful to think about it by yourself. And she seems to help you. Or, at least, seems to be the only one who takes you seriously.

You shiver as you step outside; it's cool and there's a slight breeze. It being September, of course it's going to be a little cool.

What were you going to do, though? How were you going to go about it? Just going to step in like "Hey Kanaya, yeah, see I have this problem. I need help. Yeah, lemme tell you about it"? Yeah, no.

Dozens of ways to say what you need to say danced through your mind. But not one of them sounded like a good way to say it. There was no good way to say you need help with Dave. Because you have only just really came to terms with it, yourself. Now you're about to go and talk about it with your close friend. Sure, she was a good friend, but what if she thinks you're weird?

_She's dating Rose; she's not going to think you're weird for liking a guy_, you think to yourself.

Whatever, it's still going to be hard.

As you round the corner of the next block, you see Kanaya's house. You're heartbeat sped up with every step that took you closer. You want to do this, but you don't. You need that help, otherwise you're going to go crazy thinking about it by yourself. But, yet, there's that niggling fear that she's not going to accept it or something.

When you got close to her house, you slowed down. You're fear is definitely illogical. And stupid. You don't need to be scared of telling her your issues; you've told her worse things than liking guys. But it's more than a _guy. _It's_ Dave._

You walk slowly up the steps to her front door. You hesitate before knocking on the door. Then, stealing yourself, you knock. A few seconds later, that felt like hours, Kanaya opens the door. A warm smile takes place of the polite look of welcome.

"Karkat, come in." Kanaya says happily. She looks genuinely delighted to see you.

She steps back, so you can enter her house.

"You can come sit in the den." she says.

You follow her into her front room, sitting on the couch.

"Do you want some tea or something?" Kanaya asks. You shake your head. She smiles.

"To what do I owe the pleasure, then?"

You shrug. Again, you don't know exactly how to come out and say you like Dave. What are you supposed to do? Just "hey yeah, I like Dave"? Because that's the only thing you can come up with.

"I just wanted to talk to you." you finally tell her. It was lame, but it's all you have. Her eyebrows quirk up.

"Oh? About what?" she asks. You don't say anything for a moment.

"I dunno, I just haven't talked to you in a little while, so I thought I'd drop by and see how you're doing." you say. She beams.

"Well that's certainly kind of you, Karkat. I'm doing quite well." Kanaya tells you. You nod.

"Cool." You feel a little bad, because that's not entirely why you came to see her. You mean, initially, yeah that's why you came over. But then you thought about the Dave thing and that became the main thing you wanted to talk about.

Kanaya inclines her head to the side.

"How about yourself? How are you doing?"

THERE. There is the _perfect_ opening for you to tell her about Dave. But you don't want to.

"I'm doing pretty well, thanks. Have you talked to Rose lately?" you ask, because you know they're dating and you wanted to make sure Kanaya was happy and that Rose is good to her.

"Actually, I have. She's doing well. Rose is excited about her new job. She's always wanted to be a therapist, you know, and she got a job at a well known office." Kanaya looks at you slyly, after saying this. Oh no. What's she up to? Does she want you to go talk to Rose?

"You know... She also talks about... A certain someone quite often." Kanaya continues, taking a sip of her drink. What? Where is she going with this?

"Who?" you ask, confused. She shrugs delicately.

"Just a person that she's rather close to." Kanaya says. She's being so... Vague about it. It really frustrates you.

"Okay, fine, don't tell me." you say, crossly. She giggles.

"So what have you been up to, Karkat?" You shrug.

"Nothing, I guess. Just, you know, walking around and shit. Not really a whole lot." you tell her. You want to know who she was talking about. Because she had a mischivious look on her face. It was really suspicious.

"Hmmm." Kanaya sipped her drink. You shift on the couch.

"Who were you talking about?" you ask her. Kanaya looks amused.

"Do you really want to know?"

"Yes!" you say, not really shouting, but not quietly, either.

"I was referring to Dave."

"Why didn't you just tell me who it was?" you ask her. No, really, you're confused why she would be so vague about it. You mean, yeah, it took you by surprise and you didn't really expect to hear that name come out of her mouth, but still.

Kanaya shrugs.

"No reason, I suppose." Bullshit. There's got to be a reason, otherwise she wouldn't've done that. You're not stupid.

"Well, I guess, while we're on the subject of Dave..." you trail off, unsure how to continue. You shift uncomfortably, again. That had just sort of... Slipped out. You hadn't really meant to say anything.


	2. Chapter 2

**I sort of ended the first chapter sort of abruptly. Idk I'm weird. I want the fic to be longer AND I MIGHT ACTUALLY FINISH IT? MAYBE. IDK I HAVE NO MOTIVATION.**

**Chapter 2**

Kanaya sipped her tea calmly.

"Go on." You twist your fingers nervously.

"Uh, well, I have this... Er, _thing _for him. Likeireallykindoflikehim." Kanaya gives you a confused look.

"I'm sorry?" she says, by way of asking you what you said. You clear your throat.

"I _said_ I kind of really like him."

"Oh. I see. And?" Kanaya asks you. You stare at her. Why is she so calm?

"I _like_ him. And, and, AND! He's not even gay. I think. I don't even think he likes me all that much, even as friends. He's always insulting me and shit. But on the flipside, he makes these really sexual jokes with me and I 'm not entirely sure what to think about that. Like, is he actually being serious? I mean he flirts with me? I don't know! Shit, like, I'm really sort of confused right now, Kanaya." She sighs patiently.

"Karkat, dear, calm down, for one. Second, have you thought about just talking to him?" Fuck. No.

"HAVE YOU EVEN TALKED TO DAVE?!" you yell. Okay, so you didn't mean to actually_ yell, _rather... Try to get her to realise you don't just _talk _to Dave fucking Strider. Kanaya closed her eyes briefly.

"Karkat, really, lower your voice and listen to me, okay?" she tells you. You scowl, but nod your head.

"If talking to him doesn't suit your fancy, then simply write out your feelings and leave it to him. Anonymously. Say you write a long letter explaining to him how you feel and just leave it somewhere where he'll find it. But don't sign it or anything and type it. That way he won't be able to recognise your handwriting." Kanaya says, making it sound really easy WHEN IT ISN'T THAT FUCKING EASY. GODDAMN.

Kanaya looks over at you, rather slyly.

"What?" you snap. She clears her throat delicately.

"Well, Rose is coming over. And her brother is coming with her. And I believe her brother is a certain Dave Strider." She pauses, steepling her fingers together, "and it might be beneficial if you talk to him. While Rose and I are there, sort of as mediators. I know Rose would be glad to help with that." You snort. Yeah, she _would_ want to get up in your business. She's like that.

"Kanaya, I just don't know, alright? I mean, I just don't want things to be weird and I also don't want to put you and Rose in that situation and I just. There's a lot to say and we could be here for, like, hours or something. And fuck." Kanaya smiles.

"Well, it's really up to you, but I highly recommend it." Kanaya looks at the clock, "Rose and Dave are also scheduled to be here in ten minutes. I would make your decision quickly. They will be here soon; I can text Rose and let her know, should you want to talk."

You think about this, for a moment. She's right; it _could_ be good. You know Kanaya's good a listening, and Rose is good at advice and shit. However, it would still be hard. You look at Kanaya.

"And how exactly would we go about it? Because I just don't think I could just come right out and tell him I like him." Kanaya laughs.

"Oh, no. We'd work up to it, most likely. I wouldn't expect you just come right out and say it, if you're uncomfortable with it. We'd most likely hint at something." You bite your lip, because it is tempting, after all, he'd at least know and you would have your answer as to whether he's interested or not. But, it could go the other way and Dave might not even respond. But, that's also why Kanaya is offering to "mediate." You sigh loudly, you're not entirely sure about this. But you go ahead and tell Kanaya to text Rose and tell her about the thing.

As Kanaya whips out her phone, you stare blankly down at your hands, wondering if this is the right decision. It could go wrong in so many ways, and you don't want to ruin any sort of friendship you and Dave might have.

A few minutes later, Kanaya breaks the silence, "Rose says she'd be delighted to." She gets up to pat your shoulder. She knows how nervous this makes you.

"It'll be okay. And if you get to nervous or anxious, you can always tell us you'll be going. And I'll just let Rose know you got too upset to continue." you nod to let her know you're okay with that.

Not long after that, the doorbell rings; Kanaya gets up, smiles at you, and glides off to open the door. You hear her welcome Rose and Dave, tell them that you're here. A few seconds later, she returns, with them in tow. Nope, you can't say anything; you already know that. It's going to be so weird and awkward and strange and just. No.

Kanaya offers them something to drink.

"I'd like some tea actually, if you have any." Rose tells her. Dave just shakes his head. Rose smiles at you.

"Hello, Karkat."

"Hi."

"How are you?" she asks you. You shrug.

"Good, I guess." She nods. Dave waves at you. You make a weird? sort of wave back. Whatever.

Kanaya comes back with Rose's tea, and settles down next to her.

"So, what made you decide to tag along with Rose today, Dave?" Kanaya asks him. He shrugs.

"Nothin' better to do, I s'ppose." Kanaya nods, as if this is normal or something.

"How are you doing, Kanaya?" Rose asks her girlfriend. She beams.

"I'm well, and yourself?" Good God, this feels like a goddamn tea party or something. You slouch lower in your seat, vaguely embarrassed to be here. While Rose and Kanaya were catching up, Dave had moved to sit next to you.

"So, how are YOU, Kit Kat?" he asks you. Your features settle into a scowl at his use of your shitty nickname.

"First of all, fuck you, that's not my name. Second, feeling this like is a tea party. I feel slightly awkward." You tell him. He laughs.

"Well, I mean, I've always said you harbor secret sexual feelings for me." He says, teasing. Oh god. No. Stop it, Dave. That's the stupidest thing you've ever heard. (Also, the truest.)

"Whatever. You're stupid and you make no sense." You scoff. Dave chuckles. Kanaya looks over, probably hearing the turn of the conversation. You shake your head slightly at her. She turns her attention back to Rose.

"Yeaahh, but you're not denying it, are you _Kit Kat_?" He asks. Goddamn stupid insufferable dickhole. You roll your eyes at him.

"Just because I don't 'deny' it, as you say, doesn't mean that it isn't true. It just means that I'm too exasperated to put up with your bullshit." You tell him. He's cocky. Part of you wants to knock him down and the other part of you wants to kiss him. You're just a mass of contradictions, aren't you? One contradicting thought after another. God, make up your mind.

"Heh. Whatever you say, Karkat." Dave says, ruffling your hair. You duck your head, snapping, and "don't do that, stupid." He snickers, again, "that's not a very creative insult, Karkat." You swat at him.

"Shut _up_, don't you have anything better to do?" You ask him, snippily. You _are_ getting irritated with him. He keeps being that… That… Douche bag thing he does.

Dave shrugs lazily.

"Not really, that's why I'm here, ya know?" He says, grinning. You huff, cross your arms and say, "whatever, Strider." You notice that Kanaya and Rose are paying close attention to your's and his conversation.

"Ahem." Kanaya, says politely. You and Dave give your attention to her.

"So, Dave, Rose was just telling me you're going to a party? Of the human John's I believe?" Kanaya says delicately. He nods.

"Oh, I see, and who all will be attending?" Where is she going with this? Didn't she already know? Wasn't _she _going, as well? \

Dave shrugs, "Alotta people. I know for sure Sollux, Terezi, Dirk, Jake, Roxy, Nepeta. John's yet to give me the rest of the list."

Kanaya looks thoughtful for a moment before continuing.

"Are you going, Karkat?" She asks you. You shake your head. Dave butts in before you can really say anything, though.

"I was tryin' to get him to come along, but he just got real sarcastic with me. And said he had better things to do." Kanaya tilts her head to the side as she considers this.

"Why not, Karkat?" Rose asks, curiously. Like she honestly wants to know. Now you feel like you're under the third degree, rather than about to tell Dave your feelings. You shrug.

"I just don't want to. Crowds aren't my thing. Parties aren't my thing. I don't know, I just want to stay home, is that okay?" You say this snappishly. Rose tilts her head to the side, much like Kanaya had done.

"Well, I think you should go with Dave." Rose says. You stare at her, wide eyed. Was this her way of going into the thing? At the thought of this, you start having second thoughts about telling Dave.

You snort.

"Yeah, right. No, it's okay, I don't want to go." You tell her.

"No, really, Karkat, it would be good for you to get out. And you and Dave are friends.." Kanaya butts in. You feel your face heat up a little. Dave chuckles.

"I think it would be fun." Dave says. You shake your head. Nope, this is not happening.

"Well, it would the a great time to talk to him." Kanaya continues talking about Dave. Yep, there it is. The opening. The opening to tell Dave how you feel and you aren't going to take it because you're a little pussy. You shake your head at them; you can't do it.

"Talk to me about what?" Dave asks, interestedly. Rose must've gotten the message because she said, "just about how he hates crowds. He really hates crowds."

Wow Rose, that's a terrible cover-up. An awful cover-up. That's like, the worst ever, and it's so suspicious. You can't even begin to explain how _bad_ it is.

Dave raises an eyebrow, but doesn't say anything else on the matter.

"What is the occasion?" Kanaya asks Dave.

"Huh? Oh, I dunno. I guess John just wants to have a party. His dad's outta town, so he's takin' the oppurtunity to throw a party." Dave replies. Kanaya nods her head.

"Interesting. I'm assuming his father doesn't know about this?" She inquires. Dave shook his head, "nahh. He doesn't know. He doesn't usually let John even host 'get togethers.'"

Conversation has now fizzled out and it makes you uncomfortable. Apparently, not so much for Rose and Kanaya, because they resume a conversation they must've been having before this conversation. Dave's just sitting there, legs splayed out, looking comfortable and unruffled. Like the lack of conversation between you two is fine, that it doesn't bother him, when the silence for you is almost unbearable. Mainly because it came very close to revealing some things about your feelings to that guy sitting over there. Looking cool.

You stand up; you aren't about to endure any more of this awkwardness.

"Well, Kanaya I think I'll leave. I'm kind of tired and I need a nap." You say. She smiles at you and leads you to the front door.

"Now, Karkat, I really want you to go to that party. And I really want you to work on telling Dave how you feel. I think it'll make you feel better; you'll be less agitated, I think. You won't have all that confusion built up. I know it'll be hard, but you have to, sometime.

I'll be at the party, too, so if you feel awkward, just come find me, okay?" Kanaya tells you. You nod. You're still not going to that party. She gives you another smile, hugs you, and you walk out the door and set for home.

* * *

Upon coming home, you crash onto your bed, extremely tired. You fall instantly into a deep sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

**Okay, so last chapter was kind of a filler? And it took awhile b/c I'm studying for finals and idek it's hard for me to keep up and junk. I have the entire fic written out by hand, but I change things so much and I've changed the thing about a hundred times and I just. So yeah. Finals will be over this week AND I'M SO EXCITED B/C FINALS WILL BE OVER AND FINALLY MY WINTER BREAK CAN BEGIN YES GOOD**

* * *

**Chapter 3 (Dave's P. O. V)**

You wondered why Karkat hadn't wanted to go to the party. It wasn't a huge deal. It was just a party; he'd been to multiple others before. It wasn't anything new. So why, all of the sudden , not this one? And what was that deal with him freezing up when Kanaya told him he could go to the party with you? And what did she mean "it would be a great time to talk to you"?

You're still at Kanaya's because Rose is still here, and you can't really leave unless Rose leaves. And you highly doubt that Rose will be leaving any time soon. They kept yakking away about stupid things; you weren't really paying attention to them. You were thinking about how Karkat left rather quickly after Kanaya suggested he could talk to you about something at the party. You wondered what it could possibly be. It had to be something serious, or he wouldn't've ran out so quickly, right? You hate questioning yourself and others' actions, but you think yourself a pretty close friend of Karkat's, so you care. A lot, actually.

"Ah, Dave, I have a... Request. You don't have to do this, but if you would go get Karkat for the party, I'd appreciate it. I think it would be really good for him to get out more. Plus, he really does have to talk to you. It's something rather important." Kanaya says, out of nowhere. You blink behind your shades. And shrug your shoulders.

"I guess so. But if he refuses to come along, there's not a whole lot I can do." You tell her. Rose clears her throat, delicately. You look at her, but she doesn't say anything. That sounded like a "I want to butt in" sort of thing. Kanaya whispers something to Rose and she nods. They both turn to you and you feel a little awkward. They were staring at you, like they were about to announce some kind of huge ass news. It was weird, really.

"Well, actually, in case Karkat chickens out, we'd like to tell you something." Rose starts in. You hold a hand up.

"Don't you think that Karkat should be the one to tell me... Whatever this thing is? I mean, it seems pretty fuckin' rude of you to just start in like that." You say. You like Rose, yeah, but she's a nosy lil' fucker. Rose looks taken aback, like she hadn't thought you'd say something like that.

"Well, yes, but we just want you to be aware of the situation." Kanaya says smoothly. You give them both a dubious look, the best you can manage, what with your shades.

"I as well don't want Karkat to be hurt in any way, so it would be best if you knew." Kanaya continues, with a more steely note in her voice. You shrug again. You're not sure where this is going, but you don't want to be on Kanaya's shit list. So you incline your head, signalling for them to continue.

"Now, I had mentioned to Karkat that if you were to pick him up and go to the party with you, there would be some alone time between the two of you. That way he could talk about a few of his feelings." Kanaya says. Aahh, you see where this is going now. Karkat has feelings for you? You'd always suspected it, even playing on your suspicions to see how he would respond. He'd always flip his shit, but he always does that, so you figured maybe you were just imagining it. But now there's confirmation. Is it a good time to admit your feelings, too? After a moment's thought, you decide nah; you'll just wait for further explanation before you go around admitting personal shit like that.

"Well, go on." You tell her, when she pauses.

"Karkat's feeling rather conflicted. On one hand, he really likes you, but on the other he doesn't want to annoy you. So he doesn't want to tell you. He's afraid that you'll turn him down. He's explained that that would be a problem, but not as big a problem as if it would make your all's friendship awkward. He's just stuck between telling you, and keeping it secret for the sake of your friendship. And I just want to let you know this, so that maybe you'll be conscious of what you say or do in front of him, as far as flirting with others." Kanaya continues. She says this all very fast, as if she wanted to tell you as soon as possible. You understand, now. You think back on how you played on your suspicions and wondered if that was a good thing to do. You think it probably wasn't. But you DO like him back. You were just afraid of the same thing. You didn't want to fuck things up. Karkat's so hard to read; he could be admitting his feelings while he's cussing and shouting at you.

You don't say anything for a moment. You're trying to formulate an answer that would be acceptable. You can't seem to come up with one, surprisingly, instead you just say "oh." It's not your best, but it'll do for now.

You clear your throat.

"Well, I can honestly say that I'll do my best not to upset him." You pause for a moment, trying to decide if you really want to say how you really feel about Karkat. It might beneficial. Or it could possibly ruin everything. You mean, since they've told you what Karkat's (probably) told them not to tell you, they might tell Karkat. And you don't want Karkat to hear it from them, you want him to hear it from you.

"Well, thank you, Dave." Kanaya says. You nod your head. Knowing that Karkat likes you makes you happy, yeah, sure, but what about the friendship that's there? He may like you back, but the friendship that you two have... If Karkat doesn't want to ruin it, then he must think it pretty important, right? So, say you two WERE to date, but break up? Then what? That friendship probably will be ruined. You can't be friends with exes. It usually doesn't work; so where does that leave you?

Sure, it's nice to know that the feelings aren't entirely unrequited, but it sucks even more, now, because of that. Because the feelings are there, on both sides. It sucks, because neither of you want to ruin the friendship.

Rose clears her throat, interrupting your train of thought.

"Is there something you'd like to say Dave? You're looking a little conflicted."

Goddammit. Stop thinking, they're noticing. But, you still want to tell them what's up. You lean forward, you're serious about this; you don't want them to think you're just be cool about it.

"It's just... I really happen to like him, too. But, I hadn't said anything, because I didn't want to ruin the friendship that's there, either. I mean, I just started thinking about what it would be like if we were to break up or something and then where would that leave our friendship? In ruins, most likely. 'Cause I know how Karkat gets when he's hurt. He shuts everyone out. And I'd be at the top of his shit list. And I'd rather not be there." Neither of them look too surprised at your confession.

"You're already assuming you two will break up and that's going to get you no where. However, if you're really earnest about this, then I suggest you talk to him about it. You know, the fear of ruining a friendship if you were to break up. That way, he at least knows that you don't necessarily want to break up with him or anything, but if it where to happen then, you still want to be friends." Rose says.

You frown. Yeah, but what if something else happens? Like someone cheats? You don't really see either of you cheating, but it could happen. Those weird quadrant things' lines are really blurred, from what you understand. And say you were to get jealous. Which, knowing you, you actually might. What happens if you fight? There's so much that could go wrong; it's not as simple as telling Karkat you'd still want to be friends if there was a breakup.

But you nod your head anyway. You'd just keep your worries to yourself; Kanaya is right, you're thinking about breakups already and it WON'T get you anywhere but in a really stressed and depressed mood. So it's best if you not think about it.

* * *

After Rose dropped you off, you head for your computer. You gotta talk to Karkat. Maybe not to tell him everything, but to at least get him to come to the party. That way, you CAN talk to him and junk.

turntechGodhead (TG) began pestering carcinoGeneticist (CG)

TG: hey karkat

You have to wait awhile before you get an answer.

CG: WHAT?

TG: i just wanted to know if you were serious about not wanting to go to the party

CG: YEAH. I AM, SO WHAT?

TG: i just thought itd be cool to go to the party with you

TG: ya know since were friends and all

Shit, is that the wrong thing to say? To call you two friends? Well, you ARE friends... But you both want more, so is that something to NOT say?

CG: I DON'T WANT TO GO TO SOME LAME ASS PARTY, STRIDER.

CG: I HAVE BETTER THINGS TO DO.

TG: oh yeah

TG: like what?

CG: I DON'T KNOW. THINGS. WHAT'S IT TO YOU?

TG: nothin i just thought it'd be nice for you to get out

CG: JESUS FUCK, WHY IS EVERYONE TRYING TO GET ME OUT OF MY HOUSE?

CG: I'M PERFECTLY CONTENT WITH JUST STAYING IN HERE AND SLEEPING.

TG: yes but we want you to go out

CG: ARE YOU TRYING TO BE FUNNY?

TG: no?

CG: OH GOOD, I WAS AFRAID THERE, FOR A MINUTE, YOU ACTUALLY SEEMED LIKE YOU CARED.

Okay, OUCH.

TG: well gee karkat

TG: that makes me feel swell

TG: i hope you know that i DO care

CG: YEAH OKAY. SURE. WHATEVER YOU SAY.

TG: look man, i dont know what your problem is right now

TG: but i really do care

TG: so can you not say things like that?

CG: YEAH, WHATEVER. I'M TIRED; I'M GOING BACK TO SLEEP AND I SWEAR TO GOD IF YOU BUG ME ONE MORE TIME...

carcinoGeneticist (CG) ceased pestering turntechGodhead (TG)

Well he's just a little bundle of happiness, isn't he?

You really want him to go. Like, you REALLY want him to go. But he's not willing to go. So what do you do? You could always just talk to him some other time, right?

But when will you ever get the courage to tell him this shit again? 'Cause you don't really see yourself being able to. It has to be now. Or sometime in the very near future. Very near in the future. Like, today. Around 7. Because that's when John's party starts. OH!

Oh, you got it! You have an idea. It may not really get Karkat to GO to the party, but at least you'll have seen him.

You could just simply go to his house. Sure, he'll probably cuss and rage at you. But oh well. You'll get to talk to him. And maybe you'll be able to persuade him.


	4. Chapter 4

**AHDAHAHAHAHAHAH LOOK AT ME UPDATING SO QUICKLY. I dunno, I've just been hit with this HUGE urge to type up everything I have? Idk, I'm weird. Plus, I just really wanna know how this looks all typed out and put up and people tell me how it is and junk. And I just want it to be good and ye. **

**Chapter 4 (Dave's P. O. V)**

You pace in your room. The party is at seven. But you always show up somewhat late. You're not sure when you would go to Karkat's house. You could go around 6:30 and show up around 7:15. But that all depends how stubborn Karkat's going to be. You don't want to end up going and him giving up so easily and then where does that you leave you? In the middle of a very awkward silence. You and Karkat don't really talk much, face to face.

It would be weirder because of the feelings that are there. Now you know that Karkat likes you, and you like him back. You'd be tempted to spill everything. But, wasn't that kind of the plan? For you to get Karkat and have that alone time? To sit and talk to him?

But knowing Karkat, he may not take that very well. He might try to tell you that you're just playing around and how rude that is and you just don't really feel like dealing with that.

But seeing as how there's an hour left until you have to go see Karkat, you might as well make up your mind, right now. You don't want to go there and not know what to say or do. You have to be prepared for some prime Vantas insults if you're going to tell him stuff like that. You know that's something he'd do, if you were to tell him. Or he may not even respond. So you have to be able to divert the conversation elsewhere, without making it awkward.

If you don't tell him, then when would you tell him? And how? Because the conversation that was had to day at Kanaya's is the perfect way to lead to the subject. And when are you going to get another chance like that? You mean, yeah, there's a small chance that Karkat may be the one to open up that particular discussion. It's a very small chance, though. You don't see him actually talking about his feelings. Especially if he thinks yours and his friendship is too good to ruin. Which flatters you.

Karkat isn't the most talk-y feel-y guy, troll, whatever. He's good at listening to others, yeah, but not very well at discussing his feelings. You know because you've tried to get him to talk, but he always moves the talk somewhere else. He's rather good at changing the subject, you've noticed. You're not entirely sure if you like that. It can be useful, but sometimes, like in this case, it's really unhelpful and aggravating. You're not sure exactly what to do.

Your computer dings, letting you know someone's messaged you. You check it.

ectoBiologist (EB) began pestering turntechGodhead (TG)

EB: hey dave!

TG: sup egbert

EB: i just wanted to know if youre still coming

TG: of course

TG: why wouldnt i be?

EB: well you could have other stuff stupid

TG: well i dont

EB: okay, cool :B

TG: im bringing karkat probably

EB: oh good

EB: i tried to get him to come along but he said he had better things to do

TG: yeah he does that

TG: dont believe him hes just being stupid

EB: i figured he just might be tired or something

TG: nah man

TG: hes just bein difficult

TG: you know how he is

Heh, so Karkat yelled at John, too, huh? That's funny. He's such a grumpy lil' guy.

EB: yeah i guess

EB: i was going to ask if you wanted to help me put the last stuff up

EB: but you probably have to get ready to get karkat

TG: yeah

TG: speaking of that i probably should get dressed and whatever

TG: ill see you at the party egbert

EB: bye!

turntechGodhead (TG) ceased pestering ectoBiologist (EB)

It's true; you DO have to figure out what you want to wear. You can't just show up like you are. Consulting your room (because most of your shit is just strewn around; you hate cleaning and it never stays clean anyway.) you spot a pair of black skinnies. You grab them and search for an appropriate shirt. Would a dress shirt work? It's black, but is that too much black? You could just keep your red high tops on for colour. But would that be weird? You decide it WOULD be weird. So you opt for a red tank top with your old god tier symbol. You'd really liked it, so you got some custom made shirts with it. Your red high tops would be okay. You run a hand through your blond hair. It was messy, but not in a bad way. You look pretty good.

Grabbing your keys, you walk out of the house and get in your car. You still had some time till 6:30, but travel time and just sitting here wondering if you really want to get him would take up most of that time, unless you stop being a pussy and just go. So you start the car and drive to Karkat's house. He doesn't live too far away, maybe five or ten miles away. And the drive there would give you time to decide on whether or not to tell Karkat you like him. You weigh the pros and cons of telling him. After deciding that no way are you giving him the chance to flip his shit on you, you're not going to tell him.

Pulling into his driveway, you shut off the car and skip up the front steps to knock loudly. A few minutes later, a very disheveled and sleepy looking Karkat answers the door.

"Strider. _Strider._ I told you I'm not going. Go away." He grumbles. You grin and push past him, into his house. He folds his arms, after closing and locking the door.

"I didn't say you could come in."

"Well, too bad. I'm already in, so you have to deal with me." You tell him. He scowls. Your grin widens. He's extra grumpy today.

"Whatever. My decision still stands; I'm not going." He says, stifling a yawn. You grab his hand.

"C'mon Grumpy Pants. You're going." He tugs his hand away.

"No, Dave. I'm not even dressed appropriately!" Karkat protests.

"Well, that _is_ what changing is for." You tell him, a bit snarky. He glares at you more.

"Fuck you." Usually, you'd make some comment about how you knew he liked you, but this time you don't. Because you _do_ know he likes you, and you're not going to mess with that. You wonder how it makes him feel when you make comments like that.

You shrug at him.

"Come on, let's go to your room." You say, tugging on him again. And then grin, because of how that sounds. And hope he doesn't take it like that. You look over at him. He scowl deepens.

"You're so stupid. I'm not going. I don't want to, I have no inclination, no desire, and I don't need to. I just am not going to go." He says angrily.

"C'mon, Karkat. Stop being a sourpuss. It'll be fun. Kanaya'll be there. And she really wants you to go." You tell him. His expression tells you he hates you for playing that card. Well, you DO know that he really cares for Kanaya and will do most of what she says or wants.

"Fine. But only because Kanaya wants me to. Now go away fucker, I can get dressed by myself." He retorts, pushing you away.

"But can you dress yourself in nice clothes?" You ask, smiling, so that maybe he'd understand it was a joke. You don't know; he seems to take many things as an insult- joke or not. Karkat gives you a dirty look. Yep, he's definitely insulted. But your grin widens.

"C'mon, man." You say. He turns and walks up the stairs. You follow him up. Karkat throws open his door and plops on his bed, arms crossed. His room is scarily neat. It's so orderly and organised. It scares you a little. He's, like, 19? You're 19 and you all are pretty much the same age. You're sure he's 19. Anyways, he's still really young and his room looks like a mom cleaned it.

You turn to look at him.

"Okay, first of all, you're room is oddly clean. Second of all, where is everything?" Karkat rolls his eyes and sighs. It's the type of sigh that sounds annoyed. Heh. He points to multiple drawers, telling you what's what, and going to the closet where all his button ups, hoodies, jackets, and winter coats are hung. Oh God, it's so weird. You've never seen a room this organised. It's just odd.

You dig through his jeans, taking a few out that you think would be good.

"You better put that shit back, Dave." Karkat says. You smile, "or you could. Because you seem to be pretty good at putting things away." Without a change of expression, he flips you off. You chuckle.

You lob the jeans at him, telling him to change into them, and show you what each of them looks like. You laugh at his expression. He stalks off to go change. It's hilarious, really, how he acts.

A few minutes later, he comes back with the boot cut jeans you gave him, the ones with the scuffed and frayed ends. You twirl your finger around, signalling that you want him to turn around. He scowls at you. Mostly, you just want to check out his ass inconspicuously. And this gives you the chance to do that. You are shameless.

After a moment's thought, you decide nah, not those pants. And off he goes to try on the other one. This time, the ones that he has on are sort of like yours, but have a hole on the left knee. You decide he looks better in skinny jeans. He's got perfect legs for it. And the perfect ass.

"Those ones are best." You tell him.

"Okay." You rifle through his closet, picking out a plain black hoodie for him and toss it to him. He slips it on. You sit him down on the bed and look at his hair. It's this… Giant mess. His eyes are level with your chest. You lean in a little to pick at a few strands. Karkat swats at your hands.

"Stop it. My hair is fine." He growls. You laugh and drop your hands. His hair is softer than you'd thought it would be.

"It's a mess, Karkat." You say, looking down at him amusedly.

"Shut up, it's fine." You shrug in response.

"Okay. Well we have a few more minutes till we have to leave." You tell him. This is the sort of thing you were afraid of. There being extra time and shit and awkwardness and what were you two going to do?

Karkat just shrugs.

"Okay. I'm going to eat something, then." There'll be food at the party, but you welcome the diversion. Because if he's eating, then he can't talk.

Karkat fixes a sandwich and sits at the table. He's a short lil' fucker so he swings his legs. It's cute, really.

"Do you want something?" He asks. You shake your head.

"Nah, there'll be stuff at John's. I'll get something there if I get hungry." And it was true. You're not very hungry, right now. You're stomach is still feeling a little queasy from trying to decide on what to say on the way here.

Karkat shrugs again.

"Okay." He says. You check the time. You two really should get going before you're _too _late. But, just as that thought crosses your mind, he finishes. You stand up.

"Okay, let's go, Kit Kat." You tell him. He scowls at you. Probably for your use of the nickname. But it's whatever. You disregard his glare and walk to your car.

"I have to lock the front door, I'll be there in a second." Karkat says, taking out his keys. You nod at him and start the car. A few seconds later, he climbs in. He's silent throughout the entire ride, staring out of the window. You know this, because you kept glancing at him. You wonder what he's thinking about. So you decide to ask him.

"Penny for your thoughts."

"What? Oh. Nothing, really. I'm just wondering who's all going to be there." He responds.

"Oh. I'm not entirely sure, actually. I know a few people, for sure, who'll be there. Like Kanaya, Rose, Sollux, Dirk, Jake, Nepeta and Terezi. But other than that, I have no clue." You tell him. He bobs his head.

"Cool." Karkat says. You shrug, pulling into John's drive. He shut your car off.

"C'mon, let's go in." You tell him. Karkat climbs out of the car and follows you up the steps. You enter John's house.


	5. Chapter 5

**Yes hello hi I am back, with a new chapter. Wooooooo. Yes good. Dave's POV is so hard to write. Like, I dunno, he's portrayed as "Mr. cool guy" but we all know what a nerd he really is so, like, am I supposed to write him as a nerd? Or Mr. cool guy? Like so much confusion. But, ye. I think I'll have like two chapters of Karkat POV and two chapters of Dave POV and alternate like that. Idk, I just want to show what they're both thinking, but I'm also kind of OCD (no like I literally have OCD) and I dislike the idea of it switching POVs randomly. ALSO, GUESS WHO FORGOT TO PUT IN DISCLAIMERS? YES ME. NOT GOOD. I DON'T OWN WONDERFUL HOMESTUCK SORRY orz Wow, long author's note. Okay, I'm going to shut up.**

**Chapter 5 (Karkat's P. O. V)**

You step in John's house. You could hear the music thumping from outside of the house. In the house it's louder. It's almost deafening. You clap your hands over your ears, trying to muffle the noise. Dave slings an arm around you.

"C'mon Karkat, let's go say hi to John!" He yells in your ear, after pulling away your hand. You suppose you don't really have a choice since Dave seems to be in control here. But you really don't mind. In fact, you didn't really mind when he barged in your house, saying that were going. You just don't want him to think things about you, so you treat him the same as everyone else. You don't want anyone to know about your crush on him. But now two people do. And you don't care that Kanaya knows, but you care that Rose knows, because her and Dave are close and you don't want her spewing off her big mouth.

Dave steers you towards the living room, where John's sitting on the couch that's been pushed back. For more room, it seems.

"Hey, John, look who I found!" Dave shouts, grinning. You roll your eyes and cross you arms. That makes you a teeny bit annoyed. Because he didn't really FIND you, he pretty much demanded you be here. But, whatever.

John grins, waving, and shouting, "hey Karkat!" You nod your head at him. You're still not really in the mood to talk to anyone. Dave leans in close to you, saying, "C'mon Karkat, stop being so grumpy." Your heart did the thing where it felt like it skipped a beat. It did this often, when Dave was around.

You cross your arms and muttered a "fuck you" in his direction. But what with the music so loud, you don't think he caught it. Either that, or he ignored you. That's possible, too.

Dave grabs your arm and drags you away to sit with him, Sollux, Terezi and Nepeta. Joining Nepeta, with a glass of some liquid, was Equius. They go on to talk about something stupid, but you zone out. You're not paying attention to the conversation. Instead, you're focused on how close Dave is to you. Your knees are touching and he's slightly leaning towards you.

You get up, muttering something about a bathroom, because fuck, you can't concentrate. Dave glances up at you, a questioning look on his face, so you repeat what you said louder. His lips form words that look like "oh, okay." You don't say anything else walking away from the little group. You want to get out of the living room, since that seems to be where all the music is coming from. You want to be able to hear yourself think. Why did you even come here in the first place? Oh. Right. Because Dave wanted you to come along and you like Dave and how can you say no to him? You can't.

You walk around the house, not really familiar with it. You know it's big and there are several rooms where you could probably hang out and chill in. But you know it's a party and you don't want to stumble upon something unexpected. Or, rather, expected. But totally not something you want to see. Ever. You're looking for Kanaya, but you can't seem to find her. Is she even here? She said she would be.

You sit at the foot of the stairs, chin cupped in your hands. You really wanted to talk to Kanaya, since she seems to be able to calm you down. Not that you're freaking out, because you're not, but you do feel slightly out of place and just a little nervous. You weren't lying when you said you disliked crowds. They DO make you nervous and this is no exception. This was more of a perfect example of something you're uncomfortable with.

You're so wrapped up in your thoughts that you didn't realise someone had sat next to you, until you looked over.

"Jesus fuck, Gamzee. You scared me!" Gamzee smiles.

"Sorry, bro. You just looked so concentrated that I didn't wanna motherfuckin' bother ya." He replied in his husky, deep voice. You shake your head.

"No, it's fine." You tell him. Actually, his presence is welcomed.

"So what'cha motherfuckin' up to?"

"Just sitting here. Thinking about what I'm going to do." You tell him. He sits back, leaning against the next step.

"Well, it IS a fuckin' party. Why don't you go up and do some motherfuckin' party things?" Gamzee asks. You shrug.

"I actually didn't want to come to the party." You say. He looks at you, confused.

"Then why'd you come, bro?"

"Because Dave made me." Gamzee doesn't know that you like Dave. You want to tell him. Given that, somehow, he's your moirail again.

"Dave? So, like, are you guys motherfuckin' friends? Or some shit?" He asks you. You grow slightly uncomfortable. Because, yes, you two are just friends. And that's probably all you'll ever be to him. Is just a friend. You sigh.

"Yes. We're friends. Just _friends._" You tell him. He seems to pick up on your tone. Because his brow furrows and he asks, "you seem to not fuckin' like that, man." You shrug your shoulders.

"It's whatever, I guess."

"Well motherfuckin' tell me what' up." Gamzee demands. It's not said rudely or anything, he just expects you to tell him. You suppose it wouldn't hurt, right?

"Well, I just… I really like Dave. Like, as more than a friend. I'm really red for him. Like, really red. And I just don't know what to do about it. Because I feel like he doesn't like me that way. I mean, I don't even think he's into guys. I don't know, Gamzee, I just overthink it a lot and… Yeah." You say to him.

"You should just tell him, Kar-bro. I mean, it can't be THAT motherfuckin' hard, can it?" Gamzee asks you. You glare at him.

"Yes, it IS that hard. It's very hard to tell him things like that. He's DAVE. He'd probably just blow me off. No, I can't tell him." You tell Gamzee.

"Tell me what?" Oh fuck it all. You're done. You're just done. You can just go die off somewhere. It would be the best thing to at this moment.

You look up, and sure enough Dave was standing there, with a cup full of something. You shrug.

"Nothing. Mind your own business." You tell him. He takes a drink from his cup, shrugging.

"Well, you said my name. Technically, that DOES make it my business. Tell me what's up." Gamzee was lounging on the stairs, watching this encounter with an amused expression. You figure he's not going to help you in this situation. You mean, he IS the one who told you that you need to tell Dave about your feelings. But you can't. You're too afraid.

"Just because you heard your name doesn't mean you can butt in our conversation." You snap. Dave rolls his eyes.

"C'mon Kit Kat. Stop being so… Uptight. You need to let go, man." You realise Dave is most likely drunk. Or at least tipsy. You sigh.

"Dave, just go away." You say, nicer. You're not about to deal with a drunken Dave. He's the worst. But Dave doesn't listen to you. He simply bends over and leans in close to your face. He smirks.

"Make me." Dave says. You push him away. You smell the alcohol on his breath, confirming your suspicion that he's drunk.

"Ew, get away. You're drunk." You tell him. He smiles grows bigger.

"Yeah probably." You notice that Gamzee's more interested in the conversation. More like on alert. Which makes sense, since he's your moirail. You glance over at Gamzee again. You stand up, taking Dave's wrist and marching him away from the stairs.

"Dave, you need to stop. I don't know what exactly you're doing, but stop it." You tell him. You're sick and tired of his sexual innuendoes. You're sick and tired of pining after him. You're done. Period.

"I don't know what… What you're talking about." He says. You scowl at him.

"Everything. Nothing. God, I don't know. Just… Stop talking." Dave blinks at you. All of his movements are rather slow. And not as graceful as they usually are. How much did he have to drink?

"Karkat, I know." Dave says. Your scowl deepens.

"What the ever loving fuck are you talking about now?"

"Kanaya… Kanaya told me. I know." It takes you a second to register what he's saying. And then it hits you.

"What? What did she tell you?" You ask him, nervously. You're afraid of the answer. He blinks again.

"She told me… About you, Karkat", Dave leans really close to you again, "about how you really like me." You figured as much. But Kanaya? That hurt. That she would do that to you. You confided in her and she went ahead and told Dave that you like him.

"Well she must've been kidding around. Who would like _you_?" You snarl.

"Obviously you." Dave says. You glare at him. You're not angry with him. You're hurt. You just didn't expect Kanaya to do something like that.

"It's okay, Karkat. Because… Eheh… I like you, too." Dave continues. You push him further away from you. You really don't want to hear it. You don't believe him.

"Shut up, Dave. No you do not. You're just saying that because you're drunk as fuck." You say.

"That… Is not true. 'Snot true. Nope." Dave slurs. You roll your eyes and sigh. You push past him intending to leave. He grabs your wrist.

"Karkat, wait. I'm serious." He says suddenly. He's still slurring, but Dave sounds… Well, serious. You huff and pull out of his grasp anyway. You don't want to deal with this right now. You don't have the time or inclination. He just stands there as you walk away. Dave doesn't try to pull you back, again, like he had before. It makes you a little sad, but you can understand why. You WERE pretty rude.

As you walk away, Gamzee catches up with you. He doesn't say much. He doesn't say anything, actually. He just walks with you. You don't know where you're going. But you do want to think about what just happened. You also need to find Kanaya.

"Gamzee, have you seen Kanaya?" You ask. He thinks for a moment.

"I did see her about a motherfuckin' hour or so ago. She was with Rose in the motherfuckin' kitchen." Gamzee replies, husky voice thoughtful.

"Do you know where the kitchen is?"

"Just follow me, bro." Gamzee says, tugging on your arm. You follow him down the stairs. A few minutes later, you find yourself in the kitchen. Kanaya and Rose aren't there. You turn to Gamzee and he shrugs.

"Like I said, I had seen them a motherfuckin' hour or so ago. I don't fuckin' know where they could've gone." You sigh. You figured that might happen. It doesn't surprise you, really.

You make your way out of the kitchen, finding yourself in the living room. There's a huge circle in the middle of the room and you wonder what the hell is going on.

"Karkat! Come join us!" Someone yells from the group. How they can see you is a mystery to you. The only light source is the Christmas lights that are strung up everywhere.

You feel Gamzee behind you, urging you towards the group.

"C'mon, bro, it'll be fun." And before you have time to think about it, you sitting next to him and Tavros. You're scowling, but what else is new? You hear Feferi's giggle as she asks someone something. You don't fully hear her; she's too far away for that. And the music is still blaring. So you turn to Tavros.

"What's going on?" You ask, leaning close so he can hear you.

"Truth or dare" He responds. Oh. Oh, no. You don't want to play this game; it's stupid and you don't like it and you're terrible at it. You suck at coming up with dares and you don't really care about whether or not something is true about that person because you don't listen to rumors a whole lot. This game sucks.

Minutes trickle by as the game continues. It's rather boring and stupid. No one's asked you anything yet and the dares are dumb and boring to watch. You're not really paying attention until someone jostles your arm.

"What the fuck?" Gamzee smiles at you.

"Nepeta asked you truth or dare, bro. Which is it, man?" You glower at him because you don't want to play this lousy game.

"Dare, I guess."

"I dare you to… Kiss Dave!" Of course she would say that. She probably "ships" you two, or some shit. You picked the wrong thing. You should've gone with truth. Or passed it up, but you didn't because you're ignorant. Should you do it? Can you say pass? Are there consequences for passing?

"Can I pass?" You ask.

"Only if you want to take your shirt off." Nepeta giggles. Shit. Okay. Which is worse? Kissing Dave (and probably ruining your mood farther) or taking your shirt off… And being extremely uncomfortable? Well, you're going to be uncomfortable either way, so pick the lesser of the two evils.

You really like Dave… But this would be a shitty way to get to kiss him.

"Fine. I'll kiss him." You groan. You get up and you scan the circle for him. You spot him and make your way over to him. To be honest, you hadn't realised this is where he had gone. If you had known that he was here, you would've been more opposed to playing this game.

He smirks up at you and you wonder if he's still tipsy. He could be full-fledged drunk, too, and you really don't like the idea of that, so you push it away.

"Awe, Karkat, you get to kiss me. Isn't that what you've always wanted?" Dave asks. He doesn't sound too drunk.

"Shut up, fucker. This is a dare. And no, if it weren't for the dumb game I wou-" You cut off by Dave's lips. His are soft and warm and Jesus, what's he doing? His tongue flicks out and licks along your bottom lip and you freeze, breath held, unsure of what to do next.

But as soon as it started, it ended. Dave pulls away, slightly smirking.

"Gonna have to brush up on your kissing skills, Vantas." You give him a dirty look before heaving yourself up off the floor. You return to your original spot. You noticed Terezi gives you a dirty look. Whatever. You don't care.


	6. Chapter 6

**Aaahhh, hectic life is… Hectic. I figured holiday break would be, like, a really good time for me to write this fic. But guess what it'S NOT. B/c of family. And yeah. So, I just need to stop being lazy and type up the written manuscript. Did I ever mention my disclaimers? I know in the first couple chapters I forgot about them.. hha..Ha.. Ahem, in case I did not mention them, then yoooo I don't own the wonder comic, Homestuck. All rights belong to Andrew Hussie. Even if he does kill off all my favourite characters. (Can I just do a blanket disclaimer?)**

**Chapter 6 (Dave's P. O. V)**

Kissing Vantas wasn't… Terrible. It wasn't like fireworks, either. But then again, it was just a simple kiss, brief. He didn't respond to it, which amuses you. He scoots back after you pull away. He wasn't scowling, which is new. He always scowls. It's almost like Vantas has a permanent scowl etched on his face.

As he moves back to his original position, Terezi tugs your arm.

"Was it weird?" She asks. You shake your head.

"Nah." You say. You know she's into you. But you like Nubs McShouty over there.

"Oh. Well, it doesn't look like he was all into it." She continues, flipping hair over her shoulder. Terezi usually isn't this bitchy. She's pretty carefree, but right now, she's acting like one of those preppy bitches in high school. It's grating on your nerves, but you just laugh lightly, eyes still on Karkat. You think of cute nicknames for him. He doesn't seem to like them much, but that doesn't stop you from calling him most of your nicknames. You love watching his reactions. They're pretty cute.

You're not paying much attention to the game; you're watching Karkat. It sounds creepy, as it is, but he doesn't seem to be very interested in the game, either.

You toy with the idea of seeing if he'll ditch it with you. Although, given your earlier alone time, you weren't exactly… Well, you were sort of rude. You were pretty tipsy. Not drunk, but enough so that you would get loose lipped. You tend to do that when you drink. Get loose lipped, you mean. Bro says you should be able to handle your liquor better. Oh well, fuck it.

You get up and Terezi gets up with you. You shake her off.

"I'm gonna talk to Vantas." You tell her. She turns away, but not before you see the pout settling in. Jeez, you know she likes you, but does she really have to act like that?

You walk around the circle, coming up behind Karkat. You bend down and put your lips close to his ear and blow. He jumps, screeching.

"What the fuck?!" Ah, there is that abrasive tone.

"Oh shush, Karkat, come walk with me." You say, holding out your hand. He crosses his arms.

"Why the fuck would I do that?"

"Well, you don't look like you're enjoying the game, and neither am I, so I figured we could both just leave." You explain. He narrows his eyes, but gets up. He completely ignored your hand; he acts like it's not even there. You shove both hands in your pockets.

"Where to?" He asks. You shrug. You know John's house pretty well and you're certain he doesn't.

"'Snot my house, but want me to show you around?" You ask. He shrugs.

"I guess so." Karkat replies. It's really a mumble and you barely catch it.

Karkat follows you through the living room into the kitchen to the hallway. You walk down the hallway, naming rooms until you reach the end, where the stairs are.

Karkat follows you up the stairs and you name off a few more rooms. You both head back downstairs and cross through the dining room and into the garage, where the door to their basement is.

"Down here is their basement. It's actually pretty cool."

Karkat makes a face.

"How can basements be cool? Aren't they supposed to be dark and damp and cold and creepy?"

"Well most are, but not John's." You say, chuckling. You open the door and motion for him to follow you.

"C'mon Karkat, don't be a pussy." Karkat glowers at you for that. You chuckle some more, leading him down the stairs.

As you get to the bottom, he gasps.

"Dave. Dave, what is with all the pin pricks of light?" You don't say anything, you just flip the light switch. Light floods the room, making all John's star stuff visible.

"John's really into astrology. This is all of his crap." Karkat looks around. The room is painted black with billions of glow-in-the-dark stars. It looks better without the lights.

"Dave, it's so cool." Karkat says delighted. You smile.

"There's a back door over there that leads into his backyard. That's where he'll do his stargazing. It's pretty cool, really." Karkat doesn't say anything, but continues looking around. It's a spacious; big enough to fit all of Egbert's shit in it.

You let Karkat poke around for a few minutes, before you decide to show him something else.

"Hey, let's go through the backyard, I wanna show you something." You say. He looks a little disappointed, but follows you. You turn the lights off before walking out the door. It's crisp out and Karkat shivers. You shrug your hoodie off and offer it to him.

"I don't need it." Karkat mutters. You smirk. He's so stubborn.

"Dude, you're shiverin'. Take it." You tell him. He grabs your hoodie and pulls it on. You notice he sticks close by you. Most likely for warmth.

"Where are we going?" Karkat whines. You don't answer; you just grin at him. He gives you a dirty look.

You two reach the end of John's backyard, where the tree line starts. Karkat stops.

"What?" You ask.

"This is seriously like straight out of a B rated horror movie." He tells you. You smirk at him some more.

"Dude, it's cool. I won't let anything happen to you." Yeah, you're definitely teasing him. You also decide, after taking a good look at him, that you like him in your hoodie. It's too big for him and it makes him look smaller. It's fucking cute as hell.

Cute as he is, though, he flips you off.

You lead him into the thicket of trees. You wander off the path and Karkat grumbles about stupid leaves whipping him in the face. You smile, because you know the place is close.

You stop and he bumps into you.

"Strider!" Karkat snaps.

"C'mere, look." You point towards the small clearing. He peeks out over your shoulder. You wonder if he has to stand on tiptoes to do that. You feel his exhale on your neck.

In the clearing, is a stone fountain. It's long since stopped working, but it's beautiful, nonetheless. It's carved out of marble and granite you think, beautiful rolling curves and an angelic looking brother and sister in the middle. You're pretty sure water once had spouted from their mouths, since that seems to be the thing.

"Dave, it's so pretty!" Karkat exclaims. You quite agree. But you don't tell him that. You shove your hands in your pockets, fisting them. You figure now could be a pretty good time to tell him that you like him. While you're pretty sober and not tipsy. He'd detached himself from you to take a closer look at the fountain. You walk up beside him.

"Is it theirs?" Karkat asks. Knowing what he meant, you shake your head.

"Technically, this isn't their property. Technically it's the government's, since no one owns this stuff." You tell him. Karkat continues looking at it. He's so interested.

"Hey Karkat." You say. He glances at you.

"Hmm?" You fist your hand again, still hidden in your pockets. You cough.

"Ah, you know when I cornered you a couple hours ago?" You know he remembers because his face darkens a little.

"Yeah. You were pretty… Ah, tipsy." He says. He's pretty good at a poker face when he wants to be. You move a little closer to him.

"I wasn't kidding. Or joking. And it wasn't the alcohol talking either. I really do like you. And yeah, Kanaya talked to me about it. But because she knew that I like you. She told me if I didn't tell you, she'd tell you herself. And I figured I should man up and tell you." You tell him, your voice soft. Karkat's mouth opens and closes, like a fish's. His face turns red. You step closer. You're definitely invading his personal space, now.

"And I'm not drunk right now. I'm not even tipsy." You murmur.

"Well, congratu-fucking-lations." Karkat says. But it doesn't sound as rough as his voice usually does. Actually, Karkat sounds a little breathy. Heh.

"Your point being?" He continues. You've moved close enough to him to feel his breath on your face.

"My point is, that I'm telling you the truth and you have nothing to disprove it." Your voice is low and you're looking at his lips.

Karkat doesn't say anything, for once. He has nothing to say. This is new.

You move your hand up to cup his face, to tilt his chin up a little higher. His eyes flutter shut; he wants you to kiss him. So you do. You gently press your lips against his, tilting your head slightly to the side. You move your mouth against his and his arms come around your neck. Karkat stands up on his tiptoes and he actually kisses you back, this time.

You drop your hand from his face, in favor of his waist. Sliding your hands under his shirt hem, to his lower back, which is very warm. You press him closer to you as you kiss him. He gasps and you take that opportunity to slide your tongue into his mouth, gently stroking. You push your hands up, skimming his bare sides, as his shirt rides up.

Karkat leans away.

"It's cold, you ass, put my shirt back down." He says breathlessly. You smirk and do as you're told. You keep your fingers pressed into the bare skin of his back, though. Karkat stays in your arms and you look at him.

"So… Status? Boyfriends or no?" You ask bluntly. You're not going to just be his toy. And you don't want him to feel like he's your toy. And you know he likes labels like that.

Cheeks flushed, Karkat nods.

"Sweet." You say dropping a kiss on his cheek.

"You're dumb." Karkat grumbles.

"Wow, gee thanks." You say sarcastically. Karkat wears the most shit eating grin you've ever seen.

"Do you want to go back?" You ask him, referring to the party. Karkat shakes his head.

"It's kind of lame. Like, the music's good and all, but games and junk are lame." He says. You laugh. He's right. John can set up a great party. It's the games that they decide to play that are lame.

"Alright, then, where to?" You ask him. Karkat shrugs.

"Don't really care." You drop one arm from his waist to dig out your phone and check the time.

"Bout twenty five minutes till midnight. Lots of time left to get something to eat and do something." You tell him. Karkat shrugs again.

"Okay. Where?" He asks. You ponder for a moment.

"Mmm, how about McDonald's?"

"I've never been there." Karkat admits. You cock an eyebrow, surprised.

"Dude, you've been on this planet for a couple years and you've never been to Mickey D's? C'mon, Karkat, let's go." You say, astonished. He shoves you.

"Don't be an ass, I don't go out in public much." He snaps. You sigh and settle for slinging an arm around his shoulder. He's such a baby sometimes.

"C'mon, Krabby. I swear you're bi polar." You're teasing him of course, but he still shoots you a dirty look and crosses his arms. You kiss his cheek again.

"Are you going to be grumpy because I'm surprised you've never been to McDonald's?" You ask him, grinning.

"I'm not grumpy."

"Sure seems like iiiit!" You sing.

"Dave, no. Shoosh. I'm not grumpy." Karkat says, papping your cheek. Why he's papping your cheek, you have no clue. You decide it's better than shoving you or punching. Sure, he's little guy, but he still punches hard. Harder than you'd expect, that is. You both stomp through leaves and make your way back to your car.

"Can we stop by my place so I can get a sweater and you can have your hoodie back?" Karkat asks. You glance at him.

"Sure, if ya want. But I don't really need it, I'm not that cold." You assure him. He shrugs, tucking his chin in. The opening of your hoodie hides half of his face. You're sure that's why he did that. Tuck his chin in, you mean. It's cute.

You drive in comfortable silence. You're kind of enjoying the silence. That is until Karkat opens his mouth.

"Dave, can you please turn the heat up."

"Dude, it's already really warm."

"I'm cold." Karkat whines.

"How can you be cold when you have that hoodie and the heat is turned up?" You ask incredulously. Karkat shrugs when you glance over at him.

"I just am." You shake your head and turn up the heat some more. Not like the heat needed turning up or anything, but whatever.

You pull into his drive and cut the engine. Karkat hops out and walks up to his door. You follow him into his house.

"Wait here, Strider." Karkat tells you, rather firmly. You nod. You don't have to wait long; he comes back with his own jacket and tosses you yours. You catch the hoodie and sling it over y our arm.

"'Kay, we ready to go?" You ask him. He nods and you two make your way back to your car. Silence ensues. But again, it's a comfortable silence, one you don't mind.


End file.
